


Keepsake

by winterwaters



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Fluff, I just love Clarke worrying about Bell, Raven POV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-15
Updated: 2014-12-15
Packaged: 2018-03-01 12:58:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2773844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/winterwaters/pseuds/winterwaters
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Clarke can't go with Bellamy on a mission, she gives him something to make sure he comes back.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Keepsake

**Author's Note:**

> Summary sucks. just something I couldn't get out of my head. Happy Sunday :)

Raven flattened herself against the bulky outer wall of the Ark ship, trying to blend in with the shadows. Two familiar figures were just a few feet away, hidden from most by the various tents and half-built structures in the camp. Raven suspected it was why they’d chosen the spot. Bellamy stood with his back to Clarke, staring determinedly out at the woods. As if meeting her eyes would make him reconsider everything.

He pinched the bridge of his nose wearily. “I’m not going to argue with you, Clarke. There’s been enough of that today.”

She stood with her hands in her pockets, shoulders slumped. She nodded even though he couldn’t see her face. “I’m not here for that. I know this is the best chance we’ve got.”

Bellamy relaxed a smidge, but his arms remained stiffly crossed over his chest. “Then what is it?”

A frustrated noise made its way out of Clarke and she kicked a small slab of plywood, sending it flying at the fence. Raven started a little. Her friend wasn’t usually the one to lose her temper. Bellamy turned in surprise as she ran irritated fingers through her hair.

“We’re a _team._ You shouldn’t have to go out there alone.”

“Murphy’s coming-”

“It should be _me_ ,” she interrupted hotly.

Bellamy was in front of her in seconds, his hands squeezing her shoulders. “Clarke,” he said softly. It was an apology and a reassurance. Her head drooped as she absently toyed with the zipper on his jacket.

“You know I need you here. The only way this is going to work is if we each lead one part of the attack. I need to know someone’s got my back.” He waited until she met his eyes. “There’s no one I trust more.” 

Clarke held his gaze before offering a reluctant smile. Then she fumbled with something between them and pressed an object into his hand. Bellamy opened his palm and shock flashed across his face. He was already shaking his head when he looked up, wide-eyed.

“Clarke, I can’t-”

“You can and you will,” she said firmly. Her fingers closed around his, pushing his hand away as he tried to give it back to her.

“I know how important this is to you," he protested.

“Then you know you'd better bring it back safely.” The words were accompanied by a sharp poke, though the shaky smile didn’t quite reach her eyes.

Bellamy stared at her a moment longer. “Princess,” he murmured, and it was so warm and affectionate and completely at odds with his usual gruffness that Raven found her throat suddenly tight.

The two of them stood like that for some time, heads bowed. Only their fingers touched, though they were close enough to feel the other’s breath. It was Clarke who pulled away first, her sleeve brushing quickly at her eyes. “Keep that safe,” she said, and though she pointed at his hand, the unspoken words were clear as day. _Be safe._

When Bellamy nodded, she turned and walked away. Bellamy stood there long after she was gone, staring at the small object in his hand. 

The next morning, he and Murphy left at dawn. Raven found Clarke just as she was giving them a final once-over, her questions coming rapidly and endlessly, as if she could keep them there forever just by talking. Bellamy answered everything with an unusual patience, his dark eyes never leaving hers. When Clarke finally ran out of steam, he reached out to grasp her elbow tightly, and that was when Raven saw it. The early sun glinted off something on his wrist before his jacket sleeve covered it up again. Then he and Murphy turned to go, slipping outside the gate and into the woods. Raven looped her arm through Clarke’s as the boys disappeared from sight. Clarke stood staring after the space where they’d been for several minutes, dry-eyed and expressionless.

“Five days,” Raven told her, and she nodded firmly.

“Five days.” When her friend turned to her, there was steel in her blue eyes. “Let’s go. They’re doing their part. We better be ready to do ours.”

They headed back into the camp to begin preparations. There was training to be done, weapons to clean, ammunition to store. Clarke helped train the younger kids for part of the day before letting Lincoln take over. The next morning, she was practicing by herself when Raven found her. Tapping her bare arm with the dull end of the spear, she grinned as they faced off. They’d taken to practicing together when they could, especially early in the day. Only when they were covered in sweat and their muscles burned did they slow down. They were cleaning their weapons by a small creek when Raven noticed something odd.

“Clarke,” she said slowly, “where’s your watch?”

Her friend stilled for the smallest of moments before continuing to press the wet rag along the spear. “I had to take it off,” she said after a moment. “The newbies are so eager to get in a hit in training, they kept on smacking it by mistake and I didn’t want it to break.”

As excuses went, that was pretty lousy. 

“Riiiight,” Raven drew out the word slowly, raising an eyebrow. But Clarke only shrugged. 

“It’s silly, I know. But I wouldn’t want to lose it.”

Raven watched her a moment longer before deciding to let her off the hook. “It’s not that silly.” 

Two days later, Raven had brought - more like forced - Wick to the medical unit so Clarke could examine the bruise on his head. She sat next to him, pretending she wasn’t hovering and also trying to calm her pulse, which hadn’t stopped freaking out since his fall.

“It’s not my first one,” he said, but winced nonetheless as Clarke touched the sensitive skin.

“Let’s just make sure it’s not the last, okay?” Clarke set about getting her things as her mother passed by. They spoke for a moment about supplies and needing another inventory before Abby paused and looked at her strangely.

“Where’s your father’s watch?”

Raven looked up to see Clarke avert her eyes as she ground up some herbs. “Something weird happened to the clasp and it kept slipping off. So I just put it away for safekeeping until I could take a closer look.” Her eyes flicked over once. “Wouldn’t want to lose it.”

A memory sparked in Raven’s mind - an object switching hands, a band of white wrapped around a decidedly tanned wrist. She had to look away to hide the smile threatening its way onto her face.

_Safekeeping, my ass._

But Abby bought it easily. There was so much going on that a small thing like that was easy to overlook. For most people.

On day five, they were readying to head out early. Clarke hadn’t slept at all. Raven knew it because she’d been right beside her as her friend sat by the fire night after night. But even if she hadn’t been there, it would have been obvious in the shadows under her eyes, the stiffness of her spine, the constant crack of her knuckles. She split them into several groups, giving them final directions and warnings before checking her own weapons. 

Raven had been about to walk over when Finn suddenly appeared next to Clarke. They were on friendly terms, and had been for a while now, but nothing more. Not for a long time. Clarke gave him a quick rundown of his group’s plan, pointing over to Miller. He nodded and was about to leave when he squinted at her hand.

“What happened to your watch?” He asked curiously.

Clarke rubbed her wrist unconsciously before smiling. “Tucked it away somewhere safe. Wouldn’t want to lose it again.”

He seemed to accept that and went on his way, but Raven watched as her friend’s fingers went back to her wrist for a moment longer. Her gaze lingered on the forest until Monroe tapped her arm with another question, and then she was back to her efficient, focused self.

The fight was just as long and hard as expected. There were injuries on both sides, but as Bellamy had predicted, the element of surprise worked to their advantage. That, combined with their strategy, gave them enough momentum until finally Octavia’s horn sounded high and clear. That was the signal - they’d gotten their people free. Lincoln’s group came in from the opposite side, providing their end of the diversion while Raven laid out the small surprises she and Wick had prepared specially for the occasion. As soon as she lit the first fuse, the groups scattered, leaving their enemy behind in a circle of dust.

She grinned as the first boom sounded behind her, looking over to see Clarke’s thumbs up. The subsequent booms shook the ground and rattled the trees, but they kept running. Everyone met at the previously agreed rendezvous - everyone except Bellamy and Murphy. Clarke took a head count even though she already knew who was missing, her worried gaze searching through each face and not finding the one she was most looking for. After taking stock of their collective injuries, she sent half the group back to camp with Lincoln. After some protests, Octavia went with them in Clarke’s stead. She was usually a big help to Clarke in medical, and today was no different. They would need her.

Raven stayed behind with a few others and settled down to wait with Clarke. Her friend stood stiff as a board, her gaze never wavering from the trees. Only later, when the snap of twigs alerted them to arrivals from their left, did she move. Raven lifted her gun cautiously, but as soon as Murphy’s face appeared she dropped it again. Bellamy appeared moments later, blood-spattered and disheveled, but very much alive. Clarke let out a shuddering sigh, swaying on her feet as relief overtook her from head to toe. 

The two boys crested the hill, and Bellamy clapped Murphy on the shoulder when he saw the group waiting at the bottom. There was the flash of white again as he raised his arm. His eyes landed on Clarke immediately, and a smile broke out on his face. Raven watched as they made their way over to the group, Bellamy the slower of the two as he dragged his left leg slightly. But he didn’t even seem to feel it, his gaze never leaving Clarke even as he accepted handshakes and congratulations from the others. Clarke hadn’t moved the entire time, but Raven saw her eyes sweep over him, partly to catalogue his injuries and partly to reassure herself that he was real.

When he finally came to stand in front of her, she crossed her arms in front of her chest to hide her shaking hands.

“You’re late.”

His grin widened. “I know. But I brought you something.” He removed the watch from his wrist and clasped it around hers. “Wouldn’t want you to lose that.”

With a bright laugh, Clarke flung her arms around him. “No,” she agreed on a sigh. “I wouldn’t want to lose that.”

**Author's Note:**

> sorry if the plot was super vague... couldn't decide if the enemy was the mountain men or a new grounder tribe or yet another new group. then I decided it didn't matter XD


End file.
